Fully recyclable Easter egg packaging

Country: United Kingdom

Impact Area

Aero Easter Egg:Part of our range with packaging that is 100% recyclable.

Nestlé adopts an integrated approach to lowering its environmental impact that involves careful assessment of the entire product life-cycle and reusing, recycling and reducing packaging, energy and water consumption through innovation and other tools.

After a six-year innovation project, in 2012 Nestlé became the first major UK confectioner to offer an entire Easter egg range with packaging that is 100% recyclable.

Programme description

Many companies are doing a great job of significantly reducing Easter egg packaging and I applaud Nestlé’s example of making all packaging 100% recyclable. Now I am calling on other Easter egg makers to follow suit.Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2010–2012)

In 2012, we achieved an industry first when we announced that our entire UK Easter egg range used 100% recyclable packaging.

The plastic previously used to hold the mug and the Easter egg was replaced with recyclable, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified cardboard, while the packaging ‘windows’ are now made of home-compostable film.

Since 2006, the weight of packaging for Nestlé medium and small eggs has been reduced by 50% and 35% respectively. In 2011, we reduced the amount of packaging materials used for medium Easter eggs by a further 100 tonnes – a 13% reduction compared to 2010 and in addition to savings made in previous years.

Looking at the global picture, in 2011, the Nestlé source optimisation programme helped save 39,000 tonnes of packaging material by weight across its entire product portfolio.

Value to Society

By reducing packaging, we are now taking fewer resources and energy from nature, and therefore helping to protect the environment. Less waste, means a cleaner environment for everyone!

Value to Nestlé

In reducing our packaging we have lowered costs and become more environmentally sustainable.